SERMON XXII.

HAVING

AVING gone through all the dreadful and glorious things which are to take place until the new heaven and earth fhall be created, and the new Jerufalem come down, when Chrift fhall deliver up the kindom, and have his throne and kingdom in the new Jerufalem forever. I now proced,

III.... To confider the duty enjoined on all by the apostles in the text, mentioned in page 14, of this work, viz....To take heed to the prophecies until the day dawn and the day ftar arife.

In this propofition are two things;

1. The duty enjoined, which is to take heed to the word of prophecy, as a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawn and the day ftar arife.

2. Doing this, is doing well.

1. We will confider the duty enjoined, which is conftantly to take heed to the fure word of prophecy, as to a light fhining in a dark place.

In the verfes before this, the apoftle had given his brethren the reafon why he and the other apoftles, had given fuch directions to the brethren concerning the manner in which they ought to conduct as pilgrims on the earth, "We have not followed cunningly devifed fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jefus Chrift; but were eye-witneffes of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honor and glory, when there came fuch a voice to him from the excellent glory,this is my beloved fon in whom I am well pleased; and this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.”

Notwithstanding the apostles heard the voice of God to Christ in the mount, and were eye-witnesses of the glory which Chris had, yet, he confidered that his brethren: had fomething more fure than that, which was the prophecies, which went before, testifying of that very glory which the apostles faw, and which the faints then enjoys ed.

What the apoftles preached, was not a plan, or fable, which they had devifed, and impofed on their brethren and the world; the prophets hundreds and thousands of years before had spoken of these things which they preached concerning falvation. The prophecy is confid-il ered the fure word, and a light shining to us in this world, which without it would be a dark place.

The nature of the prophecies; those which have been...! fulfilled, and fuch as are fulfiling at the prefent day, prove that all the prophecies are true. There are several things which have prevented people from attending to the duty enjoined in the text, some of which I will men

tion.

1. Many people though they confider the prophecies true, yet do not confider that they mean as they say, 's they fuppofe there is a fpiritual meaning, (as it is term ed) or that the scriptures mean fomething more than is expreffed; if this be the cafe how can the prophecies be a light fhining in a dark place ?

This plan was invented by ORIGEN, who lived in Al. exandria in Egypt, about fifteen hundred years ago. ! He faid that thofe who understood the scriptures as they read, could not be faved; in this way the fcriptures, have been laid afide for other books, and the prophecies of great and glorious things to come, are confidered, as refering to the experience of believers, or to what a party fpirit is in love with. In this way the beauty, excellence, and glory of the prophecies is laid afide.

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In order to take heed to the prophecies as a light, wel muft confider that they mean as they fay; and that now prophecy of the fcripture is of any private interpretation. The plain fenfe of the prophecies is ceretainly the best y

If we do not confider them in this way, the vifion of all will be as a fealed book inftead of a light. In this way the prophecies are confidered by many in the present day, according to what is faid in Ifa. xxix. 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, "Stay yourselves and wonder, cry ye out, and cry they are drunken, but not with wine; they ftagger, but not with ftrong drink. For the Lord hath poured out upon you the fpirit of deep fleep, and hath clofed your eyes; the prophets and your rulers, the feers. hath he covered. And the vifion of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is fealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, faying, read this, I pray thee; and he faith I cannot; for it is fealed.

And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, faying, read this, I pray thee; and he faith I am not learned. Wherefore the Lord faid, forafmuch as this. people draw near to me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear towards me is taught by the precept of men; therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a mar velous work among this people, even a marvelous work, and a wonder; for the wifdom of their wife men fhall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men fhall be hid. Woe to them that dig deep to hide their counfel from the Lord, and their works are in the dark !` and they fay, who feeth us? and who knoweth us? Surely your turning things upfide down fhall be efteemed as the potter's clay."

Had the prophet Ifaiah lived in this day, and lived in New England, he could not have given a more exact defcription of priests, rulers, and people, in this country than is given in these verses.

1. He defcribes the prophets, rulers, and feers, as in a ftate of drunkenness, and ftupidity; this is the cafe with those who are called minifters in this country beyond. what ever it was fince New England was fettled.

In former years they were active, in firing up the government to make laws to hang the Quakers, or ban ith the baptifts, enforce uniformity, make platforms, or put thofe in execution already made; but how differ

ent is it now? At the present day, there is now and then a folitary pamphlet upon fprinkling babes, fometimes an ordination, or election fermon, but in general, a deep fleep appears among the rulers of the people.

2. Befides all this, the fcriptures of the prophets,or the prophecies are become to the learned and unlearned as a fealed book. The prophecies, a light in a dark place, which we are commanded to take heed unto, is thought to contain things which we ought not to fearch after,in the view of people in general. When thefe learned men are asked the meaning of the prophecies; they have at once a plea for their ignorance, "it is a fealed book," (is their reply) which learned men do not know the meaning of. These men talk much about revealed religion; but afk them the meaning of revelation, and at once they call revelation fomething that is hidden from mortals. When the unlearned are asked the meaning of the prophecies, their reply is, "I am not learned, I cannot tell you what it means,' "thus between the learned and unlearned, the enquirer learns, that the learned, (as they are wrongly called) are as ignorant of the prophecies, as the unlearn

ed.

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3. The confequences of all this is, that the fcriptures, (a fealed book to them) is laid aside, and the fear,or our duty to God is taught by the precepts of men, because mens' precepts can be understood. The confequence of all this is, we have articles upon articles, platforms upon platforms;-creeds upon creeds;-covenants upon covenants ;-catechifms upon catechifms;-bodies and fyftems of divinity, upon bodies and fyftems ;-affocia tions upon affociation; miffionary plans, upon miffionary plans, instead of the word of God line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little. All thefe things are facts.

4. Notwithstanding all this, the Lord will proceed, to do a marvelous work and a wonder; he will caufe the wifdom of the wife to perish, and the understanding of the prudent to be hid. All this is taking place in the prefent day, and particularly in New England.

How little are the doctrins and commandments of men regarded now, to what they were a few years ago. How are the human forms of men tumbling to peices, in different parts of our country. How little are thofe men reverenced, who have the impudence to ftile themfelves the reverend ! &c-How is their wifdom perishing! How is their understanding hidden! like ftais hidden by the greater light of the fun. They are conftantly leaving the affemblies of the people, efpecially, where the most of the light of the fcriptures is received. They -feek to hide their counfels from the Lord, and their works are in the dark. As foon as the light of the fcrip, tures come, they are afraid, left their works will be dif covered. The light is to them as the terrors of death.

What a wonderful and marvelous thing is done in this country, within a few years! How are men freed from the precepts of men,thofe fhakles of foul and body. Almost every state in the union is free from tyranny, under the name of religion.

How marvelous is the conduct of the legislature of Vermont. No longer ago than October 1807,the general affembly repealed all laws refpecting religion in the ftate; fo that no man is obliged to pay a tax to the clergy. This has fet the clergy on float, while their cry is, religion is coming to nothing-A religion which human law upholds.

5. The Lord tells thofe who conduct in this manner that they are turning things upfide down, and that it is not good. By laying afide the true meaning of the feriptures; they have turned another fide to the people from what is meant. The confequence of all this is, people are become fo expert, that each one can prove from the fcriptures what he wishes to believe. People in general from this notion, have learnt enough, to make out that the feriptures abound in contradictions ; because each one wishes to fupport his plan from the fcriptures, and as they are taught that the scriptures do not mean. as they fay, each one makes a meaning to please himself, but this is not taking heed to the fure word of prophecy as unto a light fhining in a dark place,